Railway car vestibule diaphragm



March 26, H. H. H ND C QN RAILWAY CAR VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM Filed Aug. 5,1936 I I l lfl l l I 4 I la!" uglzfflfekzcirz cgo rz,

Patented Mar. 26, 1946 RAILWAY CAR VESTIBULE DIA nRAGM Hugh H.Hendricksom Elkhart;lnd assignor to r The Adlake Company, Chicago,

' tion of Illinois Ill., a corpora- Application August 5, 1936, Serialno. 94.355

' sciaim o 105- 1 5) This 'invention 'has to do with diaphragms of thetype used in connecting together the adjoining ends of railway cars, andis particularly concerned with the provision of a diaphragm suitable forarticulated streamlined trains.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved diaphragm of novelconstruction which will bridge the sides and tops of the ends of ad;

joining cars substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the samewithout allowing the entry of dust, cinders, rain and air currents andwithout having the continuity of the connection dis I turbed in any wayby the turning movement of the cars.

Other more specific objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of thecon- "struction, arrangement and operation of the parts constituting thenew diaphragm.

A preferred form of the invention is presented herein by way ofillustration, but it will of course be appreciated thatthe invention issusceptible of embodiment in other structurally modified forms comingequally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side View of the ends of adjoining cars, showingthe new diaphragm in position; t Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, withportions atthe sides shown in horizontal section; and I Fig. 3 is avertical section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. I v

The drawing shows the ends'of two adjoining cars I0 connected by the newdiaphragm II. The

. diaphragm and the ends of the cars are all U-shaped in transversesection and the diaphragm is of substantially the same size as the endsof the cars and is disposed practically flush with the outer surfaces ofthe latter. The diaphragm is flexible and is'preferably' made of heavywoven belting material, although it may of course be made of any othersuitable material.

The diaphragm is longer than the space be- I tween the ends of the carsand the edges of. the diaphragm extend into pockets I2 which areprovided about the outer edges of the ends of the,

These pockets are closed on the inside by plates I3 and on theoutside'by plates I4, which latter plates may form a part of the outersheathcars.

ing of the car but are preferably made separate so as to permit of theirremoval. the pockets I2 are closed by cross plates I5 and the openingsto the pockets through which the edges of the diaphragm extend arepartially phragm.

The edges I9 of the diaphragm within the The ends. of

closed .by .outwardly directed flanges I 6; even with 'theends I I ofthe cars, which flanges are rounded at their edges for substantiallyfrictionless engagement with the inside surface of the diaphragm. Theflanges I6 are of such extent as to leave narrow slots Ii} which are butlittle Wider than the thickness of the material of the dia I pockets I?are connected to coil springs 20, which I coil springs are in turnconnected under tension The springs 20 are arranged .at regularly spacedintervals along the to the cross plates I5.

edgesof the diaphragm, across the top and down both sides, and the endsof the' springs which are connected to the cross platesv I5 are offsetinwardly with respect to the edges I6 of the flanges so that the springs20 will not only maintain the, diaphragm taut at all times but will alsomaintain the same in snug engagement with the edges of the flanges It.This engagement of the diaphragm with the flanges I6 will prevent theentry'of foreign matter into the space between the endsof the cars, andthe smoothness .of the edges of the flanges will allow thediaphragm toslide back and forth with respect to's'uch edges during the turningmovement of the cars-withoutappreciable wear. Any foreign matterentering the narrow slots I8 opening into the pockets I2 about theoutside of the diaphragm will be discharged through suitable openings inthe bottoms of the pockets.

By this construction the continuity of the tops and sides of adjoiningcars in streamlined trains can be preserved without difiiculty, thetensioned springs 20 serving to keep the diaphragm taut regardless ofthe relative positions of the cars,'and

the depth of the pockets and the extent of projection of the edges ofthe diaphragm thereinto being-sufficient to take care of the diaphragmin all angular positions assumed by the cars,

I claim:'

l. The combination with two railway cars provided with confrontingpockets of invertedv U- shape about the top and side edgesof theadjacent ends of the cars, which pockets extend about.

the top and side edges of said ends, of a flexible diaphragm of invertedU-shape extending from one car'to the other with the edges of thediaphragm conforming to and positioned in the pockets, flanges on theends of the cars at the inner edges of the pockets, and springs in thepockets attached tothe edges of the diaphragm for holding the diaphragmagainst the flanges and for maintaining the diaphragm taut in allangular positions assumed by the cars.

2. The combination with two railway cars provided with confrontingpockets of inverted V U-shape about the top and side edges of theadjacent ends of the cars, which pockets extend about the top and sideedgesof said ends, of a flexible diaphragm of inverted U-shape extendingfrom one car to the other with the edges of the diaphragm conforming toand positioned in the pockets, flanges on the ends of the cars at theforholding the diaphragm against the flanges and for maintaining thediaphragm taut in all inner edges of the pockets, and'springs in thepockets attached to theedges of the diaphragm angular positions assumedby the cars, each of said springs beingdisposed at right angles to theedge of the diaphragm in a plane which is tilted slightlywith respect tothe plane of the portion,

of the diaphragm spanning the flanges'opposite the spring. y i

for pressing the diaphragm resiliently against the flanges and formaintaining the diaphragm taut in all angular positions assumed by thecars, each of said springs being tilted slightly with respect to theplane of the portion of the diaphragm spanning the flanges opposite thespring, whereby to, press the diaphragm resiliently against the flangesinto sealed engagement with the latter. 1

HUGH H. HENDRICKSON;

